Good news - the robocalling scourge may not be unstoppable after all [telecom]

Good news - the robocalling scourge may not be unstoppable after all

| ArsTechnica

New data shows that the majority of robot-enabled scam phone calls came from fewer than 40 call centers, a finding that offers hope the growing menace of robocalls can be stopped.

The calls use computers and the Internet to dial thousands of phone numbers every minute and promote fraudulent schemes that promise to lower credit card interest rates, offer loans, and sell home security products, to name just a few of the scams. Over the past decade, robocall complaints have mushroomed, with the Federal Trade Commission often receiving hundreds of thousands of complaints each month. In

2013, the consumer watchdog agency awarded $50,000 to three groups who devised blocking systems that had the potential to help end the scourge. Three years later, however, the robocall problem seems as intractable as ever.

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***** Moderator's Note *****

I was one of the people the FTC interviewed while trying to find a solution. I told them that they were looking for a FUSSP.

Bill Horne Moderator

Reply to
Monty Solomon
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A while ago there was discussion of this on this newsgroup and IIRC, one of the solution to telephone solicitor abuse would've required alternations to the network so as to prevent fraudulent calls from entering it in the first place. However, any software or hardware modifications would have a cost and the carriers have zero interest in spending any money for that.

Controls don't have much support in Congress, which allows loopholes in the "do not call" laws big enough to drive a 747 through. Indeed, Congress considered opening up cell phones to sales calls, but fortunately that proposal was voted down. It did have multiple sponsors, though, and that in itself was disturbing.

Personally, I don't understand why the FTC, FCC and other government agencies haven't been more aggressive in going after fraudulent callers.

(This writer has received numerous fraudulent phone calls from "Internal Revenue Services" threatening me with legal action; something that was reported on national news.)

P.S. I know a number of people with pay-as-you-go cell phones. _Every_ incoming call costs them money. Even cell phones get unwanted calls these days, including fraud, despite it being flat out illegal.

Reply to
HAncock4

Per HAncock4:

Pennsylvania, at least, started out quite aggressively.

But as they moved offshore and started using multiple VOIP relays (whatever *that* means....) they seem to have adopted a hands-off posture.... so I am guessing the issue is budget dollars and that it costs more to set honey traps and prosecute when money changes hands than to just prosecute based on CallerID.

Reply to
Pete Cresswell

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